I’m thinking quite a bit about what it means to lead a tribe (group of folks sharing something in common) and develop systems for that tribe as we prepare to re-launch the church. Here’s a progression I’m noticing:

1.  Learn the tribe

This is where you buy the product, check out the church, or learn the lingo. You observe accepted behaviors and beliefs of the tribe whether this is conscious or unconscious to you.

2.  Conform to the tribe

You attempt to fit in. You apply what you’ve learned. You conform to the beliefs. You buy the skinny jeans to be different and yet everyone else is wearing them.

3.  Break away from the tribe or Agitate the tribe forward

This post is for leaders. Most will stop at number 2. That’s fine. Some however begin to see ways and paths of improvement. Places for innovation flash like a neon sign. You have a choice. Do you break away because those changes are too sacred to the tribe or because the tribal leader has stated your innovation is the undermining of a non-negotiable? OR if it’s a healthy environment and your innovation doesn’t undermine a key value are you willing to use your frustration to agitate tribal leadership forward?

As we prepare to relaunch Discovery and I’m walking this new path helping leaders with identity formation here are some takeaways for me:

• Are our tribal distinctives clear?
• Is there a path for tribal transformation and not just information?
• Are our tribal non-negotiables clear?
• Is there an environment for the agitators to help the tribe move forward?

Thoughts?

(This post influenced by Tribes -my amazon link to this book)